La Guerre d'Hyrule
by thelinksthatconnectus
Summary: A collection of Zelda femslash ficlets, involving multiple pairings from various games. Major Hyrule Warriors spoilers alert! Current pairings: Cia/Lana, Zelimpa, ZeLana, Cia/girl!Link, Midzel, MidFi, Tetryll
1. Two Halves of a Whole - CiaLana

Even with the battle having drained her strength, Lana raced forward to the collapsing figure of Cia. Every step she took sent pain running up her legs and made the soles of her feet ache. Lana only gritted her teeth and kept her eyes on the woman - the other half of her - ahead.

Before, Cia had been a nightmare, a woman of such immense power that calling her a goddess almost would not have seemed like an understatement. She had ripped through the Hylian army with all the power that she had, and had even gone so far as to drain her own soul and life force just to gain what she wanted.

Now, the power was gone and she was nothing but a collapsed figure lying in the dirt. No longer did she look to have any strength, and Lana doubted that even her soul could persevere now.

Picking her up, Lana held Cia in her arms, cradling her close. Most of the warmth had left her body, and the few movements she made were uncontrollable shakes. From her mouth came groans of pain, noises that chilled Lana to her very core.

She felt light, and Lana almost wondered what would happen if she let her go. Would the wind simply blow her away?

"Lana," Cia said. Her voice was weak, and though Cia's face was mere inches away from her, the noise sounded far away. From up close she looked even worse, with her hair a mess and blood staining her. "Why are you here?"

Lana remained silent, only pulling her closer. Her eyes never left the woman below her. She looked into eyes that matched her own. Already, she could feel a pain inside of her chest forming, and the last threads tying the two together beginning to stretch. The pain was unbearable, worse than anything that she had received while fighting, and she didn't know how much longer she would feel it.

Perhaps it was one pain worth bearing. When those strings broke, Cia would be gone.

"Why did you do this?" Cia's eyes turned to face Link.

Link, Link, Link - as always, even when in pain and close to death, Cia still thought of the green garbed hero.

"You know how it will turn out." Cia coughed a few times, a rough sound that made Lana cringe. Every breath she took was labored, and Lana could feel the rise and fall of her chest. "He will never choose you."

Lana clutched her tighter, as if that could somehow save her. "Cia..." She paused for a moment, biting her lip. The moment of silence between them seemed to stretch on into an eternity, though they surely did not have that kind of time. "Cia," she continued, knowing that there no longer was time to waste. "Sometimes you can't have the person that you think you deserve."

Cia's violet eyes lowered, moving away from Link. Then, they returned to Lana, their eyes locking together.

Her last breaths were weak, using the last of her once vast, monstrous strength. She faded, her body becoming nothing but dust, gas, and memories.

Her own strength gone, the dams around Alana's eyes burst open. Tears poured down, covering her face.

Lana could only hope that Cia - Lana's other half, the piece that made her whole - knew that in her last words, Lana had not been speaking about Link.


	2. Desperation - Zelimpa

The peace, Impa knew, would be short lived. The few moments between them would be just that - moments - but it was the only time that they could scrounge together in a world torn apart by such a massive war. Once that time was over, once she and the princess had caught their breaths, they would return to their allies and continue their fight once more.

"That was you," Impa said, her voice low and eyes on the temple ground. Her normally composed form was gone, and her shoulders slumped and hands lay still to her side. "All that time, Sheik was really you in disguise."

And what a disguise it had been! Impa realized as a cold ache formed in her chest. Never once had she thought that the warrior in front of her had anything to do with the missing princess, let alone be her. Sheik's voice had been gruff, and their face hidden behind a pile of cloth. Nearly every bit of them had been covered, as if they had something incredible to hide. And though Impa had been correct about this assumption, she never could have guessed just what that secret truly was.

"Impa," Zelda said, her voice low. She reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder; normally, the touch would have filled Impa with warmth and the Sheikah would have leaned in closer, but now it only made the cold, hard ache inside of her spread. Every ounce of her wanted to break away from her, to be solitary once more, but she could only stand limply under the princess's touch. "You didn't know, nor did anyone else for that matter. No one was supposed to know."

"But Zelda," Impa said, her voice shaking. "Years ago, when we first met, I had promised with all my heart to protect you, no matter what."

And she could still remember that day, back when she had been nothing but an impulsive, battle hungry tween. Back then, she had never seen a girl as beautiful as the princess, and her heart had raced just at the very sight of her. Before, part of her had been wary of serving the princess, a woman that she had only heard whispers of, but that fear had melted away in an instant. The awe that had come after, replacing the fear inside of her, had stayed inside of her even long after she had first set eyes on the princess.

And that was how she had expected their next meeting to occur. The two would reunite and life would continue on once more, the two ready to fight for Hyrule. Zelda would lay her life down for her country, and Impa would lay her life down for her.

Instead, the ache seemed ready to spread through her whole body, to take every part of her until there was nothing else left.

"All those times you were in trouble," Impa recalled, closing her eyes. Vivid images of the all too recent battles filled her mind. She could still smell the blood and dust in the air, and the sting of an enemy's weapon was still sharp against her skin. "You cried out for help, for a rescue, and I abandoned you so that I could still fight the enemies ahead of me. All those battles that you had to flee, all because I didn't trust you and thought that you were a stranger." She balled her fists. "Remember when you needed my help to capture one side of the enemy's territory? All I did was run away from you - and I admitted it to your face!" Her past words ran through her mind, cursing in her ears.

And shouldn't she have known? Impa of all people, the person whom Zelda had always been closest with, should have been able to figure it out. Their enemies did not know Zelda the way that she did, nor even did Link, Lana, or any of their allies. Had all those years together, all those close moments where it was only them alone together, been for nothing?

"Impa! You couldn't have possibly known that Sheik was me." There was pain in Zelda's voice, a pain so strong that finally forced Impa to straighten her back and look back to the princess's eyes. Her eyes softened. "No one was supposed to know, not even you. To save myself, I had to be another."

"But I swore to always fight alongside you, my princess."

"And beside me you will," Zelda responded. "There is still a war to come." Zelda closed her eyes, and her touch became firmer. "If you had tried to protect me with your very life, would our enemies not have become suspicious? I could not have risked that, not when Hyrule was at stake." Zelda's eyes softened. "I can only hope that I was able to make up for it."

Even with her eyes open, a wave of memories passed over Impa, clouding her vision. Sheik had always been there for her, rescuing her when in need, and fighting alongside her when she had cried out for help. Sheik had always been there before any of her other allies, and had even gone so far as to travel to the time of the Hero of Legends alongside her, even when facing great danger.

It hurt to now only finally realize it.

Zelda removed her hands from Impa's shoulder and instead took hold of her hand. Her touch was warm and soft, and so achingly familiar.

"You've always protected me," Zelda said. "It would have been wrong of me not to return the favor."


	3. Risk - Zelimpa

**This drabble was written for femslash100 on Dreamwidth.**

Victory had been so close that Zelda could taste it on her tongue. The battle cries of soldiers, the fallen bodies of enemies - Zelda had seen and heard it all.

Then, the dust had settled and victory had been declared. Word had reached her from allies that Hyrule, though suffering some losses, had reigned superior.

"We're one step closer to winning," Lana had said. "If we keep moving forward, we're sure to win."

Everyone had been pleased, from a hug hungry Lana (who had embraced Zelda tightly, making her drop her harp and nearly causing her hood to fall) to a tired but enthusiastic Link. Even Impa had shot her new allies smiles, something that she usually only gave to those that she had known for some time.

Everyone had gotten a smile except for Zelda.

It hurt, she admitted, seeing Impa always look past her and keep her distance, standing by another ally. Part of her wanted to embrace the Sheikah woman as they had so many times before, but the rational part of her held back.

No one knew Zelda's sacrifice and no one needed to. Not when Hyrule was at risk, and not when the princess was being hunted.

For now, while the risk was high, she would have to live with being Sheik. If protecting her friends, country, and the woman that she loved meant being a stranger to them, someone that they could just barely trust, then she would just have to live with that.


	4. Better - Zelimpa

**This was for the femslash100 prompt of "better" on DW.**

Zelda pressed the wet cloth to Impa's face, her eyes never leaving the woman below her. Her dark skin had gone an unnatural shade of pale, and her breathing was hard. The heavy sound of the warrior trying to force air into her lungs echoed through Zelda's ears.

"I can take care of myself," Zelda had said with a smile back before the battle. "You just need to focus on capturing keeps."

She had thought Impa had listened, up unto the moment when Zelda waited for the sting of a sword that never reached her skin.

Standing up, Zelda went to get more bandages. It felt wrong leaving Impa behind, but it would only be for a few minutes.

"Thank you," she finally said, her eyes shifting from the tent's opening and back to Impa on the floor.

Perhaps Impa heard, or perhaps not.

"Don't worry, Impa. You'll recover soon."


	5. Foresight - ZeLana

In the few weeks that Lana had lived in Hyrule Castle, alongside a queen, legendary hero, and Shiekah warrior, she had grown more and more detached to the room, given to her by Zelda, as each day passed. It was not her own, no matter how kindly it had been given to her.

"Stay as long as you like," Zelda had said, before jumping into discussions of Hyrule's future. The queen had made it seem as if Lana was going to be staying there forever.

Now, with Lana's few things picked up, it looked exactly as the sorceress first remembered seeing it. There was no personality to the room, no sign for future inhabitants that the white sorceress had once been there. The carved wooden nightstand was empty, and the light blue bed sheets were neatly made. In the closet, hung up neatly, were the clothes that Zelda had loaned her, everything from fancy ball dresses to brown trousers in case she ever went out to ride a horse. Lana had barely worn any of them, preferring her regular wear. When she put those other clothes on, she felt like anyone but herself. And, as much as she was sure that Zelda, Link, and Impa (her friends, though the word seemed strange to her) thought, she was by no means an ordinary girl. No one in the group was normal, not by any means.

And even then, in a group consisting of legends, a handful of elite and extraordinary few, she still managed to stick out like a sore thumb.

Lana sighed as she held her Sealing Tome closer to her chest. There was no point in thinking that way, not right now. What she needed to worry about was what lay ahead - her journey to the east, her return to the Valley of Seers. From there, she would return to the temple and pick up where Cia had left off, guarding time and watching over the world that the golden goddesses had created. The splitting apart with her other half, the war to save Hyrule, staying a bit afterward, that had all been a distraction from what her destiny truly was. No longer could she frolic around like a child who ignored her responsibilities.

Lana took one last look around her room. Though her boots were on, she could still remember the feel of the cold stone floor against her feet. Her bed was made, but the soft feeling of its fine sheets ran over her skin. And though her room was rather blank and impersonal, its image was forever trapped in her mind. For the rest of eternity, long after the other warriors had died and returned in new incarnations (incarnations that would surely forget her), she would remember them and their experiences (and first hand at that), along with the memory of a stone room fit for a princess.

Clutching her book even tighter to her chest, Lana quickly turned towards the one wooden door in her room. As she reached towards the cold brass handle, she knew that this would surely be the last time that her hand would touch it.

She jumped when she opened the door.

"Many apologies," the voice behind it said before laughing. "You would think that I would be raised with better manners; I should have knocked first."

"Zelda?" Lana raised an eyebrow, her grip on her ancient spell book loosening. "What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed to tell you goodbye?"

Lana froze for a moment, unsure of how to respond. How could she have known.

The gift of foresight, she realized. Unlike Lana, Zelda did not need a crystal ball to see into the future. It didn't matter that Lana had made sure never to tell her friends when she was leaving, or even that she was eventually leaving at all.

"Well," she responded, eyes turning to the floor and her grip again tightening on her book, "I suppose that there would be no harm in it."

Zelda walked forward, passing through the door. Each step was light and precise, and as she walked inside Lana could not force her eyes away from the queen's gaze. There was something about Zelda that made the small woman fill up the room. In turn, Lana only felt smaller.

Zelda was legendary, a princess who never lost her spark of passion and care for her people, no matter what hardships she faced or what body she was in. It was one thing to watch her through a crystal ball, another thing to watch her defend Hyrule and her people with her life on the battlefield, and an entirely new experience to be the only other in the room with her. Lana sank further into the room that she so dearly wished to leave.

"So what I saw was true." Zelda's face sank.

Lana's frown only deepened. She could see the temple already, now empty of both monsters and her other half. A lonely place, fit for half the piece of a person.

"I," Lana said. She stopped, unsure of how to finish. No longer did she know how to finish.

"I," Zelda said, stepping forward, "just want you to know that I value you and all the work that you have done. Without you, I don't know what would have happened to me or my people."

Lana nearly spoke up to remind her of what she had done. With her rapier, she had fought through monsters of all types. Like always, she stood with grace and power, doing whatever she could to save her people.

Lana paused. But it wasn't Zelda alone who had saved Hyrule, nor Link or the rest of the warriors. There was the rebellion that Lana had lead, the gate through time to the land of twilight that she alone had entered.

Yes, it was her duty to watch over Hyrule and its guardians - it had been ever since she had first come into existence ages ago, back when she was still whole and the golden goddess' creations were still fresh. But never had they said that she forever had to be bound to her temple, solely watching. No, just as she had learned weeks before, she had no choice but to fight. Had she done nothing, then Hyrule would have fallen.

"Zelda," Lana said, stepping forward.

"Hmm?"

"I have heard that next week is the start of the three festivals for the goddesses." If she remembered correctly, the first was a five night feast, along with games and contests, celebrated for the goddess Din.

"Why, yes," Zelda said. She raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Lana walked over to her nightstand and placed her Sealing Tome back down. For now, there was peace.

"I was wondering if you could go-"

Before she could continue, Zelda spoke up. "Of course I will! It is my duty to watch over as leader of the ceremonies!"

"You never let me finish." Lana smiled. "I was wondering if you would like to go with me."

Zelda nodded, her cheeks turning pink at the true meaning. "I would love to."

"Good." Lana responded. Her eyes wondered over to her closet. She already knew which dress she would be wearing. "But that is a week away, isn't it?"

"Yes?" Zelda's words came off as a question. Again, she raised an eyebrow. "Lana, is something wrong?"

"I just need to get changed." Lana gestured towards herself. "The horses would probably ruin my clothes if they got the chance, and cover your lovely dress in dirt as well." Lana scratched at her arm. "That is, if you would care to ride with me. If you are not too busy planning or attending to other business."

Zelda smiled. "Oh no, my other work can wait. I haven't had a nice break in a long time."

Zelda left, though the feeling of her presence remained in the room. Lana changed into a light brown shirt and dark trousers. She left her regular clothes laid out on her bed: she would just have to return to get them later.


	6. Her Heroine - Cia x Cisswapped Link

She saw and heard everything - from every Kokiri lost in an unforgiving woods without a fairy, to every rumor never spoken above more than a whisper. Time passed, the people of Hyrule died, and then they came back, most never knowing of their past lives. As those who remembered history died off, mistakes were made, with history retold incorrectly in books and songs. Just one of the many mistakes mortals made, and after millions of years of watching them, Cia wasn't surprised. She supposed that there were some upsides to being isolated from Hyrule, watching over the Triforce and the people held in its lands but never interfering with it.

Still, there was one thing that she never understood. For a while the stories would be told of the Hero's true gender, the one that she had chosen for a while. Then, after some time, history would get muddled and words would be changed. History would play out differently and history would be changed by a boy hero - long after the hero had fallen. It was one of the many facts that she knew, hundreds of thousands, but one of the ones that sat most firmly in her mind.

Was it a divine prank? A problem among mortals, especially Hylian, storytellers? Cia could never be sure. Out of all the mistakes that mortals made, it was the one that bothered her most. Mortals could play soldiers and break out useless wars, anger each other over the simplest thing, and Cia would not bat an eyelash. That was their nature.

But to forget something so crucial about Link, and her Link at that, wore at her mind. If they saw Link the way that she did, growing ever more glorious throughout the ages, would they finally realize who she truly was? Or should the fools even know the true wonder of Link?

No matter what she did, Cia knew the truth. Link was still her hero - or, rather, her heroine. And once Cia finally had all the power that the golden goddesses had so cruelly denied her, once the world and its heroine were hers, then she would make an era that the world would never forget. Even in ages far beyond her rise to power, mortals would still quake at their ruler's name. Nor would they ever forget the woman who ruled beside her.


	7. Calm - Zelimpa

Zelda felt like the princess from a fairy story, the kind that didn't worry about war or ancient enemies or the wills of the goddesses. Instead, she felt free. Free to laugh and smile, free to be able to truly enjoy the world for once.

Impa laced her left hand through Zelda's own. "This was a lovely spot for our picnic." Streaks of orange filled her white hair as the sun set over the meadow.

Zelda nodded. It was one of the few spots in a Hyrule untouched by war.

They stayed together, hands interlinked, even after the sun set.


	8. Incarnate - Midzel

Zelda's mind flashed with images the moment that Midna's hand touched against her own. The images were followed by connected sights and smells. For a moment she saw the world through new, yet achingly familiar, eyes.

For a moment, there was no war in Hyrule and no rip in time. There was only then and them, the princesses of two worlds. There was no Cia, no Link, nothing but but Zelda and Midna's lips locked together and hearts intertwined.

Judging by the wide grin and twinkling eyes on Midna's face when Zelda broke away, she remembered that other life also.


	9. The Person You Think You Deserve

She remembered fading, her soul too weak to even rip apart. Instead, bit by bit, it slowly broke away. It wasn't as if Cia had the strength to to put the pieces back where they fit.

Time and time again, she had watched warlords fight for the Triforce, stepping on their own soldiers' blood to walk up to it. All that watching, and yet Cia had still made history repeat.

Then, nothing.

When she awoke, she didn't feel whole, not completely. Above her was Lana.

"You're awake!"

"You," Cia replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "You stayed for me."


	10. Split - Cia x Lana

There was pain, so deep that had she been mortal than surely she would have died. After a moment, the pain stopped and she looked up.

Those pale hands were not hers, and her hair was certainly not normally blue.

She looked up and blinked.

It took her a moment to recognize the white haired girl in front of her. She seemed about Lana's height, but that didn't make seeing her face any easier.

That was her face.

But she had never had white hair.

She looked to herself and the other, at the changed pieces of a former whole.


	11. Fingertips - Cia x Lana

Cia was still, just barely breathing. The feel of Lana's hand on her skin, as soft and sweet as she was, made Cia calm. Her usual frantic heart beat slowly, and her eyes focused on the only other person in the room. Cia's mind did not race.

There was, after all, no one else worth thinking about. Not when Lana was so much better.

They were the same only in looks. They were polar opposites; it was hard to believe that they had once shared a body.

Lana's touch didn't feel like Cia's own, making it all the more welcome.


	12. Under Wraps - Zelimpa

There were some days when the battles were so harsh and the soldiers cries so loud that she wanted to come clean. To just let the secret inside of her, hidden behind ancient Shiekah clothing and a growing number of bandages, out.

It took every bit of willpower that Zelda had to keep her secret hidden. Some days, after a battle ended, she wanted to run up and embrace Impa, to let her know that they needed to keep fighting for Hyrule. Yet as much as she wished otherwise, even Impa couldn't know; the Shiekah was already in enough danger.


	13. Obedience - Zelimpa, Dark Zelda

The man trembled, his back bent low and hands tied together. His thin neck was held out.

"Please," he said, his only way to defend himself left, "you don't have to do this."

Impa snorted. "You didn't have to turn roque. We nearly lost our battle against Cia's forces because of you."

"You don't understand," he replied.

Impa merely turned towards Zelda.

Zelda nodded.

Impa raised her giant's knife, an item that she'd proudly won in battle, and brought it down on his neck.

"Thank you, Impa," Zelda said when all was done.

"Anything for you, my queen." Impa replied.


	14. Part of Me - Cia x Lana

Lana's eyes never left the woman below her. Her hand hung out, ready to reach out and grab her, as if her touch could save the woman from fading away into nothing.

But it couldn't, and it never would. Cia had gotten herself in too deep, hurt herself too much, to revive herself, at least not currently. There was still a chance that the future could change things, that Lana would have another chance to make things right.

But that was in the future, which seemed to grow further and further away from her in each passing moment.

Please, Lana thought, as Cia's body turned translucent, losing its color. Please Din, Nayru, Farore, anyone... Oh please, someone save her because now I can't.

Lana's back and knees ached from leaning over. It was getting harder to see Cia through her tears, which left a salty sting in her eyes.

And yet, despite the pain, it was only long after Cia had vanished that Zelda and Link were able to coax her up.


	15. Steel and Silk (HWKink Fill) - MidFi

It was pointless, she knew, but Midna let her emotions loose anyway. It wasn't as if she had any way to stop them. They flowed through her body in waves, filling the tips of her small, imp toes to the ends of her red, battle ready hair.

From the anger she felt in fights, all the worn aggression and freed rage, to her sadness, which filled her core and turned her touch to ice - she let it out. As much as she liked to keep it hidden beneath her skin, locked behind lips that couldn't even try to describe her feelings, they all came out in one way of another.

And, if she had to be completely honest, there were certainly worse ways to let these feelings out.

"There is an eighty percent probability that we shall win, Midna." Fi called, her voice loud, louder than the beastly grunts of monsters, louder than the sound of swords clacking, and louder than even the pounding in Midna's ears. "It appears to be growing with each new victory that we obtain."

Midna looked towards her, but the sword spirit was lost behind monsters. Raising her hairy hand high, she brought it down on the nearest monsters. An all too satisfying crunch filled the air, the sound of bones cracking beneath her, before the weakened monsters vanished like dust and vapor into the air.

By the time that they were defeated, however, Fi was busy fighting other monsters. The area may have far less monsters than it had before, but it still wasn't clear either.

Midna floated forward, eyes slitted and locked on a stubborn Dinalfos that always seemed to keep fighting, no matter how much damage it took. Rather than simply smacking it with her hair, she formed a wolf beneath her feet. The wolf propelled forward, biting the Dinalfos long before it even had time to raise its shield. The moment its strike landed, the wolf vanished into the air, and Midna raised her head, her hair wrapping into a tight fist, once more.

"Midna, our chances of success have gone up to ninety-five percent."

Midna turned towards Fi. Fi, with her sculpted face and sweet voice. Whoever had made her when shaping the Master Sword had done so with special care, with skilled hands and incredible craftsmanship. Her blue lips formed what looked almost like a smile.

Fi was still fighting. She moved with a grace that Midna could never dream of having; somehow, she managed to make fighting look beautiful. No matter how hard the battle was, or how weakened everyone else was, she fought on, free of the agony around her.

"Let's put that up to a hundred!" Midna replied, floating forward.

The area was nearly clear now, save for a few stragglers. Zelda had requested the area be cleared, and Fi had promised to complete the queen's orders.

Can't let a few extra slip past you, Midna thought as she slapped her hand down on the Dinolfos. Keep a few monsters around because you're tired of fighting and before you know it there will be hundreds more.

As she fought, Fi always stayed in the corner of Midna's eyes. Her head was still pounding and her cheeks were hot, though the longer that she stared at Fi, the more that she doubted it was because of the battle.

Ever since the two had first fought together, the sword spirit had taken a firm hold in Midna's mind. Even when the two were apart, even when Midna closed her eyes, the other warrior danced through her mind, battling unseen enemies.

Of course, Fi surely could not have done the same. They were partners, yes, but more by coincidence. It was simply how Impa had paired them, and Zelda had approved of the general's orders.

It wasn't as if Fi truly felt anything - not love, not pain, nor sadness or rage. Nothing, truly nothing. Midna had touched her once on accident while they were fighting together. Though she wore flowing garments, they were cold and metallic to the touch, more like steel than silk. Her beauty was crafted; she herself had admitted that she had no feelings.

It's hopeless, Midna thought for the thousandth time.

Her eyes locked on the Dinalfos. It was time that this fight finally ended.

Yet even as she trusted herself forward, propelling a dark magic ball at her foe, her thoughts never let the sword spirit behind her. The beast let out a moan, a sigh of defeat before its body disintegrated, but Midna could barely hear it over the throbbing in her head, which had been joined by a steady pounding deep within her chest.


	16. A Salty Breeze - Tetryll

It was like stepping inside a photo taken from a pictograph box. Pigs still roamed the streets and fields freely, salty air dulled the harsh sun's heat, and sand ran freely through her toes. Tiny houses were dotted here and there, small wooden places that looked as though, despite their simple building material, could stand forever. Long grass swayed and green trees grew tall, some looking as if they could touch clouds. Ivy covered distant rocks.

Tetra let out a long sigh. It certainly was not New Hyrule. The island seemed to move slower than the ever expanding kingdom to the ocean's east, not just in terms of population (New Hyrule was all hustle and bustle, a city turned kingdom that never seemed to even stop to sleep) but also in time. It was as if, upon exiting her old ship, Tetra had stepped into a place that time treated with a gentle touch. Time did not still, but moved at its own pace, one that Tetra (despite her kingdom's sayings she would never, could never, truly be Princess Zelda) could easily follow along.

The cool air took a slightly sharper turn, the wind moving a bit faster, as if trying to push her towards the door. With every step it loomed closer.

It was only then, when her fist was half raised towards the door, that her throat finally tightened. Her head spun, and her feet moved back a step.

There had only been one reason that Link had let her go to Outset alone.

This really is a nice place, Tetra thought.

There were no stone walls or guards here, no citizens to please, nor treaties to sign or laws to enact. Here, Tetra could be a person - not a Hylian heroine, nor a princess. No labels, no legends.

She could have turned away, gone back to her ship. Letters could always be sent, even if Tetra would have to use her official stamp of approval.

Instead, the door opened.

For a moment, the old woman at the door blinked, her lips set in a half frown. Then something flashed through her eyes and the frown vanished. "Aryll!" the old woman cried. "Aryll, she finally came!"

Tetra silently watched as the woman threw open the door. The sound of footsteps echoed through her ears. Her mouth watered the moment the door opened; to think that she had almost thought of leaving Outset and skipping dinner here!

"Hey!" Tetra cried.

Aryll had certainly gotten faster since Tetra had last seen her. In moments, Aryll had grabbed her into a tight hug.

"Hey yourself," Aryll replied. She smiled down at Tetra. Though she had only a few inches on Tetra, she looked to have nearly a foot on Link. "Did all my begging finally pay off? You hardly ever replied to my letters."

"They all said the same thing." Tetra hugged the other woman tighter. "Besides, I was busy."

"Too busy for me?" Aryll chuckled, finally releasing the hug. She motioned her inside.

"Too busy for much of anything," Tetra replied as she stepped inside.

"Bet you miss being a pirate," Aryll's grandmother commented. She walked towards a large metal pot which was hung near the far right of the house. Steam slowly boiled from it. "To think, back when I was a child, Hyrule almost seemed like a fairy tale."

Maybe it is, Tetra thought. Her stomach twisted.

She was supposed to say: "I have something to ask you two." She was supposed to describe her kingdom, make it seem like a version of the Sacred Realm for mortals.

But, princess or not, she was a pirate at heart. Pirates broke rules.

"Aryll, I have a present for you."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

Tetra pulled it from the satchel she had been carrying. "I thought you might like a new one. The other one you have must be worn out, maybe even broken, by now."

An excited squeal left her throat, and she jumped excitedly at the gift held before her. For a moment, she still looked like the small girl, the one with eyes that shone with hope and happiness even after all that she had been through, that Tetra had first met.

If there was one good thing about being a princess, then it was that she could finally afford a telescope such as this (at least by legal means). The wood was strong and dark, smooth without a single scratch, crack or flaw. Gold overlaid it, running in waving patterns. Tiny jewels were dotted around, white stones that shone brightly whenever light passed over them. The glass for viewing was crystal clear and extra hard, made to last if it were dropped or there was a scuffle.

"Tetra, I..." She grinned. "I, I... I want to test it out!"

It was the pirate captain who smiled back at Aryll, and the pirate who took her hand.

"Well there's no better time than now!" Tetra said, pulling Aryll back towards the door.

It was Aryll's smiling grandmother, who moved to the door with surprising speed for a woman of her age, that opened the door. Outside, the blue sky slowly faded to purple as the sun slowly sank down the sky, almost as if it were vanishing beneath the waves.

Their feet hit the grass and then the sand, finally the air. For a few moments, Tetra flew, feet in the air and eyes on Aryll. Even when the feeling stopped, when her feet hit the sand, she smiled on.


End file.
